The Life She Chose
by Robin Redbird
Summary: Serena and Darien never married. She left the day before their wedding. Ten years later she's back in town and she wants to see Darien. But does Darien want anthing to do with her?
1. Chapter 1

This is my first fan fiction so I hope I have done everything right. I'm not very good at summaries so please give it a chance. _Writing like this is peoples' thoughts._

THE LIFE SHE CHOSE

"Dr. Shields?" His nurse asked as Darien walked into the offices he shared with his partner and best friend.

"Yes?" He asked absently, as he looked at a file.

"Drew would like to see you before you go to your office."

"Thank you." Darien said and sighed as he walked down the carpeted hall that led to Drew's office.

'_Six years that woman has worked for me and she still addresses me as" Dr. Shields" but calls Drew by his first name.'_

Darien tapped on Andrew's door and stuck his head in. "You wanted to see me?"

Drew looked up from the patients' files he was updating. "Yeah. Come in." He went back to writing furiously .

"You know, if you do your files as you see patients, it wouldn't pile up." Darien said, sitting down in the chair in front of Drew's desk.

"I know, I know." Drew sighed. "One day I'm going to listen to you." He closed the file and leaned back in his chair. "And to Molly because she tells me the same thing."

"How is she doing?"

"O.K. so far. Morning sickness is kicking her ass, though. It seems to get worse everyday."

Silence followed for a few minutes as Darien gave Drew a chance to tell him what he wanted.

"So." Darien said when it became apparent that Drew wasn't going to say anything. "Not much longer to the big day."

"No. A week from tomorrow."

"Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess." Drew said unenthusiastically, or so Darien thought-at least for a man getting married in a week and a day.

Drew leaned on his desk. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about." He said reluctantly. "Well, sort of anyway."

Darien raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue.

"Here!" Andrew exclaimed, thrusting a piece of paper at him. "I debated whether or not to give it to you when Molly asked me to." Drew babbled as Darien opened the paper and looked at it.

'_A phone number?' _ Darien thought ._ 'What?…'_ Then he noticed the name. _'It couldn't be…'_ He looked up at Drew in shock_. _

"I figured I should just let you decide." Drew finished quietly. Darien looked at the name on the paper again.

'_Serena…'_


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own Sailor Moon.

_Chapter 2_

'_Serena…'_

The name brought to mind the image of a beautiful blond haired girl with laughing blue eyes. Darien looked at, Drew a question in his eyes.

"I don't know what she wants. She's in town for the wedding. Molly and her still talk, you know."

'_No.'_ Darien thought. '_I didn't know. But I guess I should have. They were always the best of friends.'_

"Anyway," Drew continued. "She asked if Molly would pass along her number."

Darien stared at the paper for a long minute then balled it up and tossed it in the trash can by Drew's desk.

He was half way to the door when Drew spoke. "You aren't even going to call her?"

Darien swung around. "Of course I'm not going to call her!" He exploded. "How can you even ask me that!"

Drew wasn't sure how to answer that so he said nothing. Silence reined as they stared at each other.

Five minutes turned to ten, ten minutes turned to fifteen until finally Drew couldn't stand it anymore.

"Aren't you just a little bit curious?" He asked quietly, "This was the girl you were going to marry. The **ONE**. **THE** love of your life. I know that there's a part of you that still thinks about her. And you can't tell me that there's not a part of you that doesn't wonder what she could possibly want after all these years."

Darien glared at Drew then turned and stalked furiously from the office.

Andrew sighed and sat back in his chair. "That went well." He said out loud.

Sorry the chapters are so short. Hopefully they will get longer.

How is it?


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Sailor Moon.

Hope you are liking it. 

Chapter 3

'_This has got to be the longest day of my life.' _Darien thought as he sat down at his desk with a tired sigh. To say the hadn't gone well was an understatement. The day had been a multitude of mistakes. Calling patients the wrong name, ordering tests that won't needed, mixing up paperwork-things that he had **never **done before, not even his first day as a medical student.

'_It was Drew's fault, of course.'_ Darien thought. _'Why did he have to give me that blasted number!'_

Even as Darien was cursing Drew, he knew why Drew had given him that paper. It was like he said- Darien deserved to make his own choice.

Darien stared at the crumbled paper that Drew had left on his desk.

'_Serena…'_

Serena had been **THE ONE, **as Drew had said. The love of his life. A mere slip of a girl with blond pigtails and big blue eyes. She had wormed her way into his cold, hard heart and still resided there even after ten years apart.

Drew was right. Darien did still think about her; far more often then he would like. It was this part of him that wondered what she wanted after all this time.

'_Was it because of the wedding? Did she want to talk so that it wouldn't be awkward when they met at the reception?' _As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Darien dismissed it. _'She wasn't that naïve.'_

Darien started to knock his head on the back of his chair. _'This was driving him crazy!'_

He sat there for a long while, his stomach churning, his mind in turmoil, lost in the past. Even though it was almost fifteen years ago, he could still remember the day he'd first seen her, just like it was yesterday.

His mind flew through the images, their fights, their adventures as Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask. Finding out about the Prince and the Princess, their trip through time. Renie. Their daughter. Their destined love. Good memories. Then the not so good memories. The memories of the months after the defeat of Chaos. The silences where before they had talked about everything, anything. The arguments when the silences got to be to much. The angry, hurtful words they had yelled at each other. The weeks spent apart because it was to painful to be together. The helplessness he had felt as he watched her drift further and further away.

How he had felt when he had realized she didn't care enough to fight anymore.

The memory of Serena calling off their wedding the day before they were supposed to marry. The memory of Serena telling him that she wanted **choices**. To choose her own life, not live one already planned out. The memory of Serena telling him she wasn't sure if she loved him and wasn't sure if she ever really had…

There was a knock at the door, startling him out of his memories. Drew cautiously stuck his head in. "Hey, Dare. Just wanted to remind you that Liz is expecting us at seven." He said hesitantly.

Darien grimaced. "Is she ever going to give up?" He asked, sighing.

Drew came just inside the door frame and leaned against the wall. "You know she won't stop until we're as happy as she is."

Darien raised an brow.

Drew grinned. "As married as she is, anyway."

"You're in a relationship, about to be married." Darien pointed out.

Andrew just smiled and shook his head. He didn't have to say anything. They both knew his sister didn't respect his choice of wife.

Drew straightened up to leave but Darien stopped him. "Drew? Could we talk?" He asked hesitantly.

Drew raised an eyebrow and nodded.

Darien waved hand to a chair and Drew went and sat down. They were both silent as Darien organized his thoughts.

"Why are you marrying her?" It was something they never talked about. Something Darien felt was none of his business. Drew was his friend and Molly gave him some semblance of peace after the hell Rita had put him through. What did it mattered if he didn't love her? What had love brought to either of their lives that they would want it ever again?

Drew took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "A lot of reasons."

"Any you care to share?"

Drew collected his thoughts for a minute. "I guess because she knows, you know? She knows why I am the way I am. She lost someone, too. Someone she lived very much. He died but she went on with her life. She's established herself in her career, she's traveled, experienced new things. Molly's had relationships' with other men. She didn't let herself stagnate. She didn't atop and mourn for the rest of her life."

Darien nodded. He could understand how those things would appeal to Drew. "Anything else?"

Drew took another deep breath and let it out slowly.

Darien didn't need his telepathy to know Drew was hesitant to go on. "Drew?" He prompted.

Andrew sighed. "Well, at the risk of sounding like a girl, a twelve year old girl at that, I like her. She makes me laugh. I'm at my happiest when I'm with her. She's my friend." He finished simply.

'_He's right. He does sound like a twelve year old girl.'_ Darien thought but didn't say aloud. He just nodded his head and waited for him to continue.

"And lastly, I guess, it's because she asked me. In the five years we've been together, it's really the only thing she's ever asked of me." Drew shrugged. "She wants to be a wife."

"And you're going to make her one, even though you have no desire to be a husband?"

Drew didn't say anything. What was there really to say?

"Are you sure you're not going to regret this? That you don't already?" Darien asked after a minute.

"I have no regrets."

Darien looked at him skeptically.

"I don't." Drew insisted. "I'm marring a woman that I care about and that cares about me. A woman I respect and respects me. A good woman who will be a good wife and mother. I will be cheated out of nothing I have no regrets because there is truly nothing to regret." Drew stopped for a minute. "Not everyone gets the fairytale, Dare. But the lucky ones can come pretty close."

Darien just stared at him.

"Look, Dare,-it's for the best. I mean, could you see me following Rita from dig to dig? Could you see her, here? It's for the best." Drew repeated.

Darien couldn't help but wonder who he was trying to convince-Darien? Or himself? 

Hope that answers some of your questions. I don't know if Serena really didn't love Darien anymore or if something more sinister is going on. She hasn't really said yet.

Next chapter out in a week or less.

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I SEEMED TO HAVE CONFUSED SOME OF YOU. THE 'SHE' I WAS REFERING TO AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LAST CHAPTER WAS SERENA. IT WAS JUST A LITTLE **

**WAY OF SAYING THAT THE CHARACTERS SEEM TO BE WRITING THEMSELVES AND I AM NOT SURE WHERE THEY ARE TAKING US. SORRY FOR THE CONFUSION.**

**THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED!**

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON,**

Chapter 4

Darien let himself into his apartment and breathed a sigh of relief. The dinner party had been every bit as worse as he thought it would be. Darien shook his head. How was that a seemingly intelligent woman like Liz could possibly think that the barracuda she had sat him next to could be his type.

'_Give the poor girl a break.' _A voice said inside Darien's head. _'Like she would know your type. The only woman she's ever seen you show the least bit of interest in was Serena.'_

Darien groaned. He would pick now to make his presence known.

'_Shut up.' Was the Princes' reply._

Darien studiously ignored him as he set about his nightly routine. He would never admit it-not even to himself( which really would be like admitting it to the Prince since he is apart of Darien)-but it seriously creeped him out when the Prince talked to him. It wasn't like his life wasn't messed up enough, he just had to hear voices, too. That he was telepathic and always heard voices seemed to escape him at the times the Prince visited him.

'_Ignoring me doesn't work. I'm a part of you.' _The Prince said as Darien sat down to read the latest Medical Journal after making a cup of coffee. This was always his favorite way to unwind and he especially needed it now after the day and evening he had, had _'Or haven't you figured that out yet?' Endymion taunted him. _

" Do we have to do this every single time? Can't you just tell me want you want me to hear and go back to wherever it is that you go?" Darien said out loud.

'_One would thing you aren't happy that I'm here.'_

"Yes, one would, wouldn't one." Darien said sarcastically. He tried to concentrate on his reading, knowing that Endymion wouldn't tell him anything until he wanted to.

Endymion sighed. Darien had never figured out how a ghost (or whatever the Prince was) could sigh. Just like he had never figured out how he was here, where he went , or why he kept coming back.

He was being haunted by his self. He'd laughed if the situation wasn't so absurd.

The Prince sighed again.

"What?" Darien exclaimed, exasperated.

'_You know you have to call her. Why don't you just get it over with?'_

"Why? Why do I have to call her?" Darien asked, aggravated. "Because she wants me too? Because after ten years she finally has something to say? Well, I don't care! I don't want to hear it! "

'_I swear! The older you get, the more stubborn you get!' _

Endymion continued to argue with Darien, trying to convince him to call Serena.

**Meanwhile in a little house across town….**

"Did you give him her number?" A beautiful curly-haired, red-headed woman asked a handsome, sandy-haired man.

"Yes, Molly." Andrew answered as he closed the front door behind him.

"Did he call her?"

"No." He said as he sat beside her on their forest green suede sofa that sat perfectly in front of their fireplace.

"Is he going to?" Molly asked, and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I don't know." Drew said, tiredly. "I'm -I'm not sure he should."

"What!" Molly exclaimed and bolted up.

"It's been ten years, Moll. _TEN YEARS!_" He said and looked into her expressive green eyes. "Why _now_? After a decade of no contact, at _all?_"

"She has her reasons."

"Does she? Really?" Drew asked sarcastically.

"Yes. I don't know what they are but I know that they are good."

"And how do you know that?"

"Because she loves him. She never would have left if it wasn't for a good reason and she wouldn't be back now if it wasn't for an even better one."

Andrew put an arm around Molly and pulled her against him as they silently watched the flickering firelight.

In a apartment across town a raven-haired man pulled a wrinkled piece of paper out of his pocket and picked up the phone beside him.

_**A/N**_**: UP NEXT : THE MEETING**

**THANKS AGAIN FOR THE REVIEWS! HOPE EVERYONE LIKES IT!**


	5. Chapter 5

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON**

**I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT HAS REVIEWED. PLEASE DO NOT THINK THAT I DON'T APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERYONE WHO HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO REVIEW. I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS AND I DON'T WANT FOR YOU TO THINK THAT I AM IGNORING YOU. I AM VERY KNEW TO AND TO COMPUTERS. I HAVEN'T FIGURED OUT HOW TO SEND MESSAGES TO ANYONE YET. I HAVE TRIED TO ANSWER SOME OF THE QUESTIONS WHEN I WRITE A NEW CHATPER BUT NOT SURE I HAVE SUCCEEDED. **

**THANKS!**

**CHAPTER 5**

The steady influx of patients the next morning kept Darien too busy to think about the up coming meeting between him and Serena. By the time he had called her last night it had been late and her phone had went straight to voicemail. He had left a message asking her if she wanted to meet for lunch (he still did not know what possessed him to ask her that; he hadn't had anything to say to her on the phone what on earth was he going to say to her in person?). If she couldn't make it she could call him back.

"Cough, please." He said to the little brown haired girl on the examine table. She coughed obediently as Darien moved his stethoscope around on her chest to get a better listen to her lungs.

"That's enough, Lily." He said straightening up and recording his finding in her chart. He turned to the girl's mother, handing her a prescription. "Nothing to worry about, Claire. Just a nasty chest cold. That's a prescription for antibiotics; give her plenty of fluids and Tylenol or Motrin for fever. She should be back to normal in a few days."

"Thanks, Darien." The brown haired, brown -eyed woman, said in relief, taking the prescription . "After last time, I didn't want to take any chances." She gave him a tired smile and looked at him from her five foot five stature. Claire was a single mother that lived next to Andrew's sister.

She had been an early victim of Liz's matchmaking. She was a warm and funny woman, not to mention a good mother and very pretty, and they had went out a few times but had decided that they were better off as friends.

There was just no spark between them.

He threw an arm around her shoulders as they walked out of the examine room, Lily ahead of them. "This isn't like last time, Claire. Her lungs are fairly clear and I see no sign of infection. The odds of this turning into pneumonia are nonexistent. But if you get nervous about anything, and I mean _anything_, I'm just a call away."

"Thanks, Darien." she said again. "It's just that…" They turned the corner and whatever else she said was lost.

Standing in front of the reception desk, talking to Molly and Drew, was a petite, blond haired woman in a pink business suit. Even though her back was to him he would know her anywhere. Serena.

Molly said something to her and she slowly turned around.

'_What's she doing here? _Darien thought in panic and stopped abruptly. _'She's not supposed to be here. We're supposed to meet at the restaurant. It's to soon. I'm not ready.' _

'_Well.' Endymion said. ' I suggest you suck it up and get ready, because, there she is.'_

Time seemed to stop around him. There was nothing but Serena as she completed her turn in slow motion, her shoulder length hair swinging out as she stopped and they looked into each others' eyes for the first time in ten years.

He saw her eyes widen in surprise and her lips slowly mouthed his name.

Suddenly, time began to move again and he became aware of Claire asking him if he was alright and the Princes' roaring laughter in his head.

'_What, exactly, are you laughing at?' _Darien growled at the Prince.

'_You.' _Was the laughing reply.

From along way off Darien vaguely heard Claire ask him if he was alright, again.

"Fine." He said absently still staring at Serena. "I'm fine, Claire."

He shook his head to clear it. With his panic, and dread, over seeing Serena, not to mention Endymion's laughter, it was not an easy task.

He stood there, frozen, as Serena walked to him.

"Hello, Darien." She said softly, coming to a stop beside Lily, who stood in front of him and Claire.

Darien took a moment to reconcile the mature woman that stood before him with the girl that lived in his memories. Her face was leaner, her body slimmer in places and curvier in others.

The face and body of an adult; the eighteen year old child left far behind. So totally different, yet, at the same time, exactly the same.

"Hello, Serena." Darien said stiffly. "It's-good- to see you."

Big blue stared into his navy ones; eyes that saw to much, that had always seen to much.

"It's good to see you, too."

Darien just stood there quietly, unsure of what to say to her.

"Um," Claire said beside him. " I guess we'll be going, Darien." She looked back and forth between Darien and Serena. "I'll call you soon, o.k.?" She said, uncertainly.

"O.K. Take care of Lily and remembered what I said." He waved them off still looking at Serena.

"I'm sorry to come to your office but you forgot to say which restaurant to meet at." She said after a minute.

Darien blinked, everything coming back into focus. "Oh, I'm-sorry." He said, not sounding sorry at all.

"That's o.k.." She said. "Perhaps we could talk now?"

"Oh, I-"

'_You most certainly can!' Endymion interrupted, knowing what he was going to say._

'_I have patients to see!'_

'_Lily was the last one until after lunch and you know it!'_

'_I don't want to see her!'_

'_She's standing right in front of you, man! You've already seen her!'_

Darien just growled at the Prince.

'_Oh, shut up!'_

Darien sighed. "Alright Serena. We can talk in my office."

'_Might as well. I won't get any peace until we do.'_ Darien thought as he led the way down the hall, the Princes' laughter echoing in his mind.


	6. Chapter 6

I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON! IT IS OWNED BY SOMEBODY WHOSE NAME I CAN'T SPELL OR PRONOUNCE!

I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR REVIEWS. I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. SPECIAL THANKS TO SERENTIY MOON GODESS. THANKS FOR THE ADVICE! IT REALLY HELPED.

WE FIND OUT WHY SERENA LEAVES IN THIS CHAPTER.

THIS IS THE LONGEST CHAPTER SO FAR. THEY WILL START TO GET LONGER NOW.

I AM NOT COMPLETELY HAPPY WITH THIS CHAPTER. IT DID NOT PROGRESS AS I HOPED IT WOULD.

I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG UPDATE.

MY BROTHER(HE MOVED IN WITH MY MOM AND ME AFTER MY DAD LEFT. MY DAD LEFT AFTER MY MOM GOT SICK.) SAID THAT I WAS SPENDING TO MUCH TIME ON THE COMPUTER AND TOOK IT AWAY TO AFTER THE HOLIDAYS SO THAT I COULD SPEND TIME WITH 'THE FAMILY'.

HE GAVE IT BACK TODAY AND SAID HE WOULDN'T TAKE IT AWAY AGAIN IF STICK TO MY STRICT 2 HOUR TIME LIMIT.

SO. ON WITH THE STORY…

Serena followed Darien into an austere white office and sat down in the chair he waved her to as she watched him sit at his desk in front of her.

They sat in silence just looking at each other. As they sat there Serena took the opportunity to study his office. She looked at the cold white walls, the massive oak desk, and the neutral tan carpet.

There was no art on the walls; no diplomas or certificates or awards. No pictures sat on his immaculate desk, no mementos were tucked away in the niches.

Nothing personalized this room. Nothing showed that it was, in fact, Darien's office. Anyone passing by would assume that it was just a spare; just a empty room.

From the things Molly and Andrew had told her, Serena wondered if this office was a metaphor for Darien's life.

No keepsakes, no personal entanglements.

Serena knew that Darien had people he considered friends, but did he, as Andrew said he didn't, let anyone in?

Serena thought back on the conversation she had had with Andrew her first night in town.

_**FLASHBACK**_

"_How is he, Andrew?" She had finally got to the courage to ask after two hours of small talk. There was no need to say who she was asking about. Andrew knew. "Is he…happy?"_

_Andrew had stared at Serena for a long time. It got to the point where she wondered if he was going to answer._

"_He's… good at pretending he's happy." Andrew finally answered, his eyes bored into hers._

_Serena was heart broken. "How… sad." She said after a minute. "How utterly sad."_

_Andrew jumped up from his chair, almost knocking over the coffee table in his living room._

"_What did you expect! " Andrew practically snarled, hazel eyes blazing. "He let you in ! Completely! He never does that! I'm his best friend; were closer than most brothers and there is only so far he lets me into his life! But he shared everything with you. No barriers, no walls. And you left him." He glared at her angrily. "What did you expect? For him to move on? To get past it?" Andrew shook his head despairingly. "You didn't know him at all, did you?"_

_END FLASHBACK_

" You wanted to talk." Darien barked out harshly when the silence got to be to much. "So talk."

Serena looked at him, putting her conversation with Andrew aside to contemplate later, and noticed what had startled her when she had seen him out in the hall.

"Darien, I-" She stopped. "Darien, what happened to you? You look so…" She trailed off, not wanting to offend him.

"Old?" He finished for her.

"Yeah." She studied the lines on his weathered face, the gray streaks in his once raven black hair. He looked so much older than his thirty-two years; almost like a middle aged man.

"You certainly did not come here to discuss how old I look, Serena." Darien admonished.

"I just…" Serena stopped, suddenly unsure. She finally understood what Andrew had tried so hard to tell her. This was not the Darien that she had known. This wasn't her Darien.

"Serena?" He prompted.

"I wanted to see you." She said lamely. "It's been a long time."

"Well, you've seen me." Darien said harshly.

Serena was taken aback. He had never spoken to her so coldly before; not even when they used to fight.

"Darien," she started hesitantly. "I thought we could talk. You know, catch up. It's always nice to catch up with old friends, isn't it?" She brazened out.

Darien looked at her hard. "Friends, Serena? Were we ever really _friends_?" He sneered. " You were my crime fighting counterpart. You were Princess to my Prince. You would have been Queen to my King and Wife to my Husband, but I don't think we were ever _friends._"

"Darien,-"

"You wanted to talk, Serena," Darien interrupted. "Let's talk! Let's talk about _friends_." He leaned up in his chair and placed his palms flat on his desk. "Let's talk about how friends are with each other. Friends talk. Friends keep in touch. Friends are there for each other. _Friends,_ Serena," He stood up and glared at her with fire in his eyes. "_Friends_ don't leave each other for over ten years without so much as a phone call!" He glared at her for a long time and then sat tiredly in his chair. " We were never friends, Serena." He finished wearily. Bitterly.

Serena opened her mouth to say something-what she didn't know- but Darien interrupted her again.

"Why don't you leave, Serena?" Darien stood up. "It's what your good at." He finished before he stalked furiously out of the office, the bitterness was apparent in his voice, again.

Serena sat there in stunned silence for a long moment before climbing to her feet and slowly straightening her jacket and smoothing her skirt. This suit had been an impulse buy. A spur of the moment thing that she had given into not long after she had decided to come to Molly's wedding and she knew she would probably be seeing Darien.

He would never admit to it, but he loved seeing her in pink. He had said once that there was just something about that color on her. It reminded him of cotton candy and ice cream and puppies and kittens. There was an innocence to it that he just didn't see anywhere else.

Serena turned around and Andrew was waiting just inside the office door.

"Hi."

"Hi." Serena said back.

"You okay?" Drew said gently.

Serena looked into his concerned hazel eyes. The good thing about Andrew was that he could never hold a grudge-at least not against Serena-no matter how many years passed he still saw that cute fourteen year old that had wormed her way into his heart all those years ago.

"He won't talk to me, Drew." Serena said quietly. "There are things I need to say to him-things I think he needs to hear-but he won't listen."

Andrew walked closer to where Serena stood.

"He's so different. He's changed so much. I mean, he was always intense but he was never bitter."

"Life was always hard for him, Serena." Andrew said softly. "After you left, it got harder. With a hard life, oftentimes, comes bitterness."

Serena looked into Andrew's and saw, not for the first time, the hard, cold look in them. Andrew knew bitterness intimately. Rita, the love of his life, had chosen her career over him. It had been a big slap in the face for her to put a job before a man like Drew. To say that the life they could have together wasn't enough. To say that he wasn't enough.

"How do I get past the bitterness?" What she was asking was how did he get past his bitterness to see Molly. "How do I get him to listen?"

"You can't get past the bitterness because it's been a big part of his life for too long. He'll only listen when he's ready too. Right now, he's not ready to hear anything you have to say."

"But he called me." She said, bewildered. "He wanted to meet with me."

"I might have played a part in that, Serena. I think I may have goaded him into it." Andrew said regretfully, smoothing down his pristine white dress shirt.

This was a nervous tic, Serena knew. He always fidgeted when something bothered him. She noticed things like that about people. Their nervous tics, what hand they used to write, whether they drank coffee or tea and how they took it- just little everyday things that most would not have noticed but was just one of the perks of being Sailor Moon.

"He just needs a little more time to get used to the idea. I'm sure he will come around soon." Andrew said, not sounding sure at all.

Andrew tucked her arm into his and led her out of Darien's office. "How about I take you out to lunch? You can catch me up on what's been going on in your life."

"What about Molly?"

"She has another engagement at the moment." He said, leading her out into the afternoon sunshine.

**MEANWHILE…**

Darien practically ran from his office in his desperation to escape Serena.

Their meeting, in his opinion, had not gone well. He'd tried hard to ho hold on to his emotions, to not let his anger and but he had failed.

He had failed and now she knew how much she affected him. How much her leaving had changed him.

Darien entered their conference room and sat down the beige suede sofa strategically placed in the middle of the room, two matching chairs and ottomans sat in front of it, a dark cherry finish coffee table was placed in front of the sofa.

Three years ago, when Drew and Darien had decided to open their practice, Liz and Molly had taken the decorating upon themselves.

The room had been done in neutral shades of blue and beige. The walls were done in beige, like the furniture and the carpet was a pale, almost ice blue, that matched the curtains perfectly.

It was a beautifully done room; warm and inviting. It comforted the few patients that he had had to counsel here mote than his cold, sterile office would have.

They had wanted to do his office, and even the new apartment he had moved into that was only a block from their new practice, - the fifth one since Serena had left- but he had refused, the pain of losing Serena still fresh, even after seven years. His was a barren existence without her and he had wanted his surroundings to mirror that. No one could wallow in misery like Darien.

Darien sighed as he leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. His eyes glazed over as he thought about the night ten years ago that shattered his whole world.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_He had known that something was wrong. He knew that something had been bothering her for a while. The arguments that they had been having in ever increasing frequency were testament to that. But he had just been so busy. He had started med school not long before and the classes were twice as difficult as they had been in college and not to mention he was getting ready to start his training at the hospital and put together with his job there just wasn't much time left over. With the wedding planning, the lectures he had to pick up and his role as Tuxedo Mask, coupled with everything else his stress levels were through the roof._

_He new that Serena had a lot on her plate she was just starting college and had taken most of the wedding planning on herself because of his crazy schedule. She also had her role as Sailor Moon and Darien just figured that Serena was stressed out, too. He reasoned that they would be able to relax after the wedding._

_Serena had been waiting in his apartment that night when he had come home after a hard day of school and work. _

_He could still remember the joy that had filled him when he had come through his door of his apartment and saw her sitting on his sofa._

_His heart was light and a smiled graced his face as he made his way into his living, flopping his keys on the bar and his bag beside it, along the way._

"_Hey, Meatball Head." Darien said, flopping down beside her and throwing an arm around her shoulders._

_Serena was quiet as he rambled on about his day._

_He should have noticed her silence. Serena was never quiet. He should have noticed her stillness. Serena was never still. He should have noticed a lot of things but he didn't._

_He just sat there, going on about his day, happy to just be with her. He had once thought that if he lived out the rest of his days just being with her, he'd die a happy man._

"_Darien," Serena said softly, cutting him off. "We need to talk."_

_That was the first indication-well the first he noticed, anyway- that something was wrong. Really wrong. Nothing good ever come from a conversation started with those words. _

"_Is something wrong, Serena?" He asked straightening up and turning slightly so he could look at her. _

"_Darien." She said again, as if unwilling to began this conversation. "I -I want you to know that this decision wasn't made on whim. I have thought long and hard about this and it wasn't an easy decision to make." She stopped._

"_Serena, what is it?" Darien asked, starting to panic._

"_I can't marry you, Darien!" She blurted out. Serena jumped up and started to pace, blond meatballs flowing behind her, a vision in her simple pink sundress. _

_Darien sat there unable to move, a loud roaring filled his ears and her words repeating in his mind; '__**I can't marry you! I can't marry you! I can't marry you!'**_

" _I … don't understand, Serena." Darien finally said, numbly. It sounded like his voice was far away._

_She stopped pacing and faced him. "I can't marry you!" She repeated, sounding a little hysterical._

_Hearing it the second time didn't make it any easier to understand. Darien sat back on the couch and watched dumbly as Serena's mouth moved, not doubt trying to explain but all Darien heard, again, was 'I can't marry you! I CAN'T marry you! I CAN'T MARRY you! I CAN'T MARRY YOU!'  
_

_After what seemed like hours but was in fact only minutes, he was able to swim his way out of the fog in his brain a little bit._

"_But what about the future?" He asked, interrupting her mid sentence. "It's-It's __**destiny!" **__Darien suddenly had a bad case of DE JA VU. They had had this conversation before, except last time he had been on the other end of it._

_He watched as a change came over Serena. A look he had never seen before came upon her face. "__**De**__stiny!"__ She sneered bitterly, using a tone of voice he had never heard before. "I __**hate**__ that word!" She through her hands up and started to pace again. "You're Sailor Moon, Serena!" She mocked. "It's your destiny! You're the princess, Serena! It's your destiny! You're Neo Queen Serenity, Serena! It's your __**destiny!"**__ The way she spit out the word made it known that she considered it a four letter word. "Did anyone ever stop to think that I might not want a destiny? Did anyone ever think I might want something different?" _

"_What do you want, then, Serena?" Darien asked through stiff lips._

_Serena stopped pacing and moved so she could look him the eye. "I don't know if I love you, Darien. I don't know if I ever did." She said, eerily calm. "I want to be able to believe it when I say that I love you. I want to be able to believe that it's my love for you, and not the Princess' love for the Prince that I feel. I want to believe that if we didn't know what we know-if we didn't know about the Prince and Princess; if we didn't know about the King and Queen, that we would still be together. I want to believe it when I say that I love you." She repeated. "And I want to believe it when you say it, too. And I don't. I don't believe that at all." She said , deflated. Serena left soon after that and Darien didn't try to stop her. What would be the point? She didn't love him. She wasn't sure if she ever did._

_**END FLASHBACK**_

It was, of course, the most heart breaking moment of his entire life. There had been many moments like this in his life but this was the most important. This was the one that changed him. This was the one that define him. This moment, more than any other, was the one that made him into the man that he was, because this was the one that broke him.

**WELL. SO HOW WAS IT?**

**NEXT CHAPTER : SOME DARIEN AND MOLLY AND A LITTLE LOOK AT HOW DARIEN WAS AFTER SERENA LEFT.**

**MAYBE SOME SERENA. NEXT CHAPTER SHOULD BE OUT NEXT WEEK.**

**THANKS FOR READING!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON.**

**THIS CHAPTER GOT DONE A LOT FASTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD SO I JUST WENT AHEAD AND PUT IT UP.**

**I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO REVIEWS AND EVERYONE WHO JUST READS.**

**TO THE ONE WHO ASKED WHY SHE LEFT: I WAS NOT IGNORING YOU. I JUST DID NOT WANT TO GIVE ANYTHING AWAY THAT MIGHT RUIN THE STORY.**

Molly watched as Andrew and Serena walked out the office doors. Andrew had asked her to stay behind and speak with Darien. What she would say, she didn't know. Why Andrew wanted _her_ to talk to Darien she didn't know. They really weren't close. The only things that they really had in common were Drew and Serena.

After Serena had left, Darien had cut everything that reminded him of her out of his life. He had moved to another apartment, bought all new furniture, all new clothes, sold the bike they used to ride together-even changed the cologne, soap, shampoo and other products he used. He even went so far as changing the foods and drinks that he used to buy.

He refused to talk about her after she left; wouldn't even say her name. Not even once. No one else did, either. Andrew said that he was afraid to. Even though Darien had went on with school and work like he always had , there had been a difference about him that scared Drew. It was as if he was a shell, just moving through the motions, not really living. Drew said that it was like Darien had decided to never want anything ever again.

When her and Drew had first started seeing each other, Darien had avoided her like the plague. Her presence seemed to hurt him. Molly had known that it was her connection to Serena that bothered Darien so she had kept her distance like he seemed to want.

Except for one night.

_**FLASHBLACK…**_

_**A NIGHT A LITTLE OVER FIVE YEARS AGO…**_

_It had been a bad day for Molly. She always had days like this, when it was this time of year. The time of year Nephlite died. _

_Molly sighed as she sat down on the park bench, and smoothed the skirt of her emerald green sundress over her knees with a well manicured hand. She loved coming here. Molly felt closer to Nephlite here. He died in a place much like this and since she couldn't go there she came here. _

_She was supposed to have gone out with Drew but she just wasn't in the mood._

_Theirs was a strange relationship. They weren't in love, wasn't close to falling in love and probably wouldn't ever be in love, but Molly could see them together, like they were now, years into the future. Theirs was an uncomplicated, undemanding relationship. They expected nothing from it except companionship. _

" _You shouldn't be out here, alone, after dark." A voice said from in front of her._

_Startled green eyes flew up to look into a pair of dark, navy blue ones._

_Molly breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Darien standing in front of her, still in the black suit and white dress shirt he had been wearing when she had seen him at the hospital that Molly, Darien and Drew worked at. _

"_You shouldn't be, either." Molly replied._

_Darien gave a harsh laugh. "Please believe me when I say that I have nothing to fear from muggers and the like." _

_For some reason Molly believed him. Darien just had that look about him. The look of a man that could handle his self-in____**any**__ situation. He also had the look of a man that didn't care if couldn't. _

_He was so… __**lost**__… at times. So …sad. So broken. Serena had been gone five years now and Darien still acted like it had only been five days. But Molly couldn't judge him. She was the dame way._

_He sat down beside her. "I thought that you and Drew had plans tonight."_

"_We did but I cancelled. Just wasn't in the mood."_

"_Bad day?"_

_Molly sighed. "Some would say a bad life."_

_Darien gave a grunt. Molly wasn't sure what it was supposed to mean so she settled back against the bench and continued. "I …__**LOST…**__someone very important to me around this time many years ago. Life has not held the same… __**appeal**__… since."_

_Molly felt Darien stiffen beside her and she was afraid she had said something she shouldn't have._

"_I know what you mean." He said after a minute, staring out into the darkness. " When we lose someone we …" Darien cleared his throat. "love." He finished uncomfortably. " It taints everything around us. We don't see things the same way again. We don't feel the same as we did before. Life is never the same as it once was."_

_Molly nodded her head, knowing even though he couldn't see the gesture he could feel the motion._

_They sat in silence for a long time each lost in the memories of the ones they had lost._

"_It was only ever her." Darien said, breaking the silence. "Even when it wasn't her, there wasn't anyone else." he paused. "There will never be anyone else."_

_Molly didn't know what to say so she just covered his hand with hers and tentatively laid her head on his shoulder, trying to offer him what comfort she could. When he breathed out she caught something that smelled like…alcohol?_

"_Darien, have you been…__**drinking?**__" She asked in disbelief, sitting up and turning so she could face him. She had never known Darien to drink before. Even when they went to dinner or to a hospital function, she had never seen him drink._

"_It helps, you know?" He said after a minute, looking into her eyes. "When the memories get to be to much…" He trailed off. "When I think about everything I had… everything I was going to have… The alcohol helps."_

_Molly understood about coping mechanisms. She had a few of her own. She couldn't condemn him for something she did herself._

_They stared at each other for a long while until Molly felt something change._

"_It's not the only thing that helps." Darien muttered so low she almost didn't here him. _

_She stared at him in shock, watching his head move closer to hers. Suddenly his lips was on hers, moving frantically. Molly squeaked when he jerked her up against his body, and Darien took the opportunity to slip his tongue into her mouth._

_Molly raised her hands to his chest to push him away when she felt his hand move between them and cup her breast. She felt her nipples harden and a fire started in her stomach and spread._

_Instead of pulling away, she pressed herself into his hand and her tongue dueled with his. Molly ran her hands across his chest and this time it was him that groaned._

_That seemed to bring him some what to his senses. He slowly pulled back until he was looking into her eyes._

"_My apartment is close by." Darien said, his eyes searching hers, for what she didn't know._

_Molly nodded her head and that seemed to be enough because he slowly removed his hand from her chest and stood up._

_Molly stood up and quietly followed him to his apartment._

_**END FLASHBACK**_

They had never talked about that night . After, Molly had avoided Darien as earnestly as he did her. For some reason, Darien felt guilty, even though they really had done nothing wrong. Drew and Molly weren't in a exclusive relationship at the time and Darien hadn't been in a relationship at all. Though, she suspected, he had had a lot of…_**companionship**_. Like he said-alcohol wasn't the only thing that helped when the memory of what he lost became to much.

Molly walked down the hallway, her black heels clicking on the bare floor. She paused when she got to the door of the conference room where she had seen Darien disappear into after his disastrous meeting with Serena. She took a deep breath, squared her blue, silk clad shoulders, opened the door and walked in.

_**DARIEN'S POV**_

Darien froze when he saw the door opening but let out a sigh of relief when he saw a familiar curly red head pop in instead of the blond he had been expecting.

"Is there something you needed, Molly?" He asked politely, surprised that Molly had sought him out.

He had always kept a distance between he and Molly. At first it had been easy. They really didn't frequent the same kind of places. Even when she had started her job as a nurse at the hospital where he and Drew worked, it had been fairly easy.

It had been when Molly and Drew had started dating that it had got hard.

It wasn't that he didn't like her. She seemed like a nice enough person. And he was happy that Drew had found her. She just reminded to much of Serena. It hurt to be around her and remember the good times that he had spent with them both.

It wasn't until after their night together that he had started to actively avoid her. Leaving a room when she entered, turning down invitations to events that she would be at, never issuing invitations that included her; those sorts of things.

After their… _**indiscretion**_… he couldn't bare to even look at her. Darien felt like he had betrayed his friend . He felt like he had taken advantage of Molly. She had been upset and he had used that. Besides, she wasn't the one night stand kind.

Darien knew that if he hadn't been drinking, it would never have happened. He had no doubt about that; none what so ever. He was one of those drunks that seemed to lose their inhibitions and do things that they normally would never think about doing. After that he had done his drinking behind closed doors, with a certain type of woman.

"Actually, Darien," She said, interrupting his musings. "I was wondering if there was something I could do for you." She came and sat beside him on the sofa, her slim black skirt rising up to just above her knees. " I know it must have been hard on you, seeing Serena and I just want you to know that I'm here if you want to talk or anything." She bent forward slightly and placed her well manicured hand on his knee.

Darien immediately moved away so that her hand fell from his knee.

"I will not betray my friend again, Molly!" He exclaimed, their night still fresh in his mind.

Molly stiffened. "First of all," she hissed, glaring at him. "It was not a betrayal !" Darien could tell he had offended her greatly. " Drew and I were not then what we are now!' She continued to glare at him for a minute. "Second of all," She began in a calmer tone. "I wasn't even offering that. I just thought it might help to talk; you know, organize your thoughts, maybe examine your feelings."

Darien felt remorse fill him. Molly was a good woman, a good partner to Drew. She would be a good friend to him, if he would let her. He knew that she would not betray Drew. She truly did not deserve his condemnation. He was just striking out and she was a convenient target.

"I'm sorry, Molly."

Molly nodded and smiled, letting him know he was forgiven. " It's alright. It's easy to get angry. If you're angry then you don't hurt as much."

She was right. Wise beyond her years, Molly was. He could feel her compassion. All she truly wanted was to help him.

He took a deep breath and then opened his self up in a way he had never done before-not even with Drew.

"I don't want to see her. It _** hurts **_to see her!" He said pain and despair evident in his voice. **"**I don't want to talk to her because it _**hurts**_ to here her voice! I don't want to know that she likes the life she has more than the life she could have had with me! I don't want to know if she loves another!" He paused. " I don't want to know that she's happy without me!" He exclaimed, jumping up. He looked into Molly's eyes, for what , he wasn't sure.

" And I don't want to know that she's not." He said, deflating. "Because of everyone who deserves happiness, she deserves it the most." He finished brokenly, sitting back down beside her.

"I understand that it will hurt you, Darien." Molly said hesitantly. "But I think you need to see her, Darien. I think you need to talk to her, come to terms with her leaving. I think if you do, you might be able to finally let her go, if that's what you want."

Darien took a minute to think about what she was saying. She was right, even if he didn't believe it would change anything .

"Not today." He finally said, reluctant to put his self through anymore torment today. "Maybe-Maybe tomorrow."

Molly smiled and settled beside him. They stayed there in silence until it was time for Darien to go back to work.

_**LATER THAT NIGHT**_

Serena was exhausted by the time she made it back to her room that night. She had spent the evening with Molly and Drew, talking and laughing. It had been one of the most enjoyable evenings she had had in a very long time. It had also, for the time being, taken her mind off Darien.

It also brought home how much she missed her friends.

There was only Molly and Drew left here now. The rest had moved on years ago. She knew Ami would leave, to some prestigious position where her brilliance could be used to it's best advantage. And Mina was never meant for this town; but she had thought that at least Rei and Lita would still be around.

When she left ten years ago, she hadn't just left Darien, she had left everyone. Even Luna. She had needed a clean break and felt she couldn't have that with constant reminders of the past. So she had left and severed all contact.

She had kept in touch with her parents and Molly but that was only sporadically. The Sailor Scouts and Luna and Artemis she had not tried to contact since she had left.

It had been a hard thing to leave everything and everyone that she knew and was familiar with, but Serena had felt it needed to be done. She'd been drowning, she'd felt like she couldn't breathe. Everything had been happening so fast, and was spiraling out of control. No one had understood. No one had even tried to understand.

Serena had told the truth when she said she wasn't sure she loved Darien. But that had been only half the problem. She had known that something was different then it was supposed to have been. She knew that there was something missing. Serena just didn't know what that something was. How could she tell them something she really didn't understand herself?

Serena sighed and moved to the mirror to remove her makeup. She grimaced when she saw herself. She missed her meatballs. Ten years and she still missed them. When she left, she knew that leaving wouldn't be enough. If she wanted a change, she needed to change everything. She couldn't live in the past and still discover who she was without the Princess, so she cut her hair and changed who she was and tried not to think about what she had left behind.

Serena studied herself in the hotel's big mirror. Her new hairstyle had aged her some, as had the years she'd been away, but the lines she had seen on Darien's face and even Molly's and Andrew's-to some extent-wasn't there. Oh, the little changes were there, the ones that showed that she was a woman now, and not a girl; and she knew she looked different without her meatballs and her makeup and different clothes; but when she looked at herself compared to the others, she still looked virtually the same while the others had gotten… well, old. Serena knew that there wasn't very many changes between eight-teen and the early twenties but she was twenty-eight now, the same age as Molly, and the changes that had occurred in Molly, Serena just didn't see in herself.

Pluto hadn't aged a day since the moon kingdom-well she hadn't the last time Serena had seen her. Serena had thought that had something to do with being the time keeper, but now she wondered if that was true.

'_Was this how it was suppose to be?' _Serena wondered._ 'Was she meant to watch as everyone got older and she stayed almost the same? And if this was so, then what about the Sailor Scouts? Were they discovering the same thing? And what about Darien? Shouldn't he be the same as she was? Why did he look so much older? Older than even Andrew-who was the same age.'_

Serena sighed and wished that Luna was here. She truly missed Luna's wise counsel at times.

Serena finished cleaning her face, undressed and got in bed. There were no answers forthcoming; only many, many more questions.

**I AM NOT TRYING TO PORTRAY DARIEN AS A DRUNK OR A MAN WHORE. I AM JUST TRYING TO SHOW HOW BROKEN HE WAS AND STILL IS.**

**NEXT CHAPTER: THE REHEARSAL DINNER! DARIEN'S BEST MAN AND SERENA'S INVITED EVEN THOUGH SHE'S NOT PART OF THE WEDDING!**


	8. Chapter 8

**SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. MY BROTHER TOOK MY COMPUTER AGAIN. I DID SOMETHING HE PURPOSELY TOLD ME NOT TO AND HE TOOK IT FOR A WEEK. I JUST GOT IT BACK TODAY. **

**I AM SORRY THAT I HAVE CONFUSED SOME OF YOU. IT IS MOLLY AND ANDREW THAT IS GETTING MARRIED, NOT DARIEN.**

**THANKS TO ALL WHO REVIEWED. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT.**

**SOME PEOPLE ARE ASKING WHETHER OR NOT SERENA AND DARIEN ARE GOING TO GET BACK TOGETHER. I DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE STORY BUT I WILL SAY THAT I DON'T DO HAPPY ENDINGS WELL. I DON'T BELIEVE IN THEM.**

The next two days past quickly for Darien. He walked around as if in a fog, caught up in memories of the past. Thankfully, Serena had the decency to stay away. He knew he would have to deal with her but he hoped it would be later rather than sooner.

Darien sighed and closed the file he was working on. Andrew seemed to think that Serena wanted his forgiveness. Unfortunately, forgiveness was not something that came easily to Darien; sometimes it didn't come at all.

'_I don't really see what she needs forgiveness __**for.**__' Endymion said. ' She left because it wasn't working between the two of you. She did what she thought was best. It's as simple as that.'_

'_Great! You're back!' _Darien thought snidely to Endymion.

Endymion sighed. '_Darien…'_

'_Are you actually going to __**defend **__her?' _Darien asked incredulously. '_She left you too, __**remember**__?' _

'_She did what she thought was best.' _Endymion repeated.

'_She left me practically at the alter! She had been acting different for months! She knew she was going to leave! She shouldn't have let it go so far!'_

'_Maybe she didn't want to hurt you. Maybe she didn't know __**how**__ to tell you. Maybe…'_

'_Maybe you should shut up!'_ Darien exclaimed, cutting in.

Endymion gave another exasperated sigh. _'You're right. She shouldn't have let it get that far. And I am not going to defend her. I am not going to claim to know why she did what she did and I am not going to claim to know why she did it the way that she did it; but I do know that you need to find out the answers to these questions if only for your own peace of mind.' _Endymion paused. _'This is your last chance to do so, and we both know it's not because she's leaving soon.'_ The Prince finished in a gentler tone.

Darien jumped up and started to pace-something he seemed to do a lot of when he talked to the Prince. _'But I have no need of explanations, I have no need of closure. And I have no need to hear her brag about her perfect life.' _He stopped,

'_And you have no need to hear her complain about her not so perfect life.'_ The Prince finished for him. _'I know that you're not going to like this, Darien,' _Endymion said hesitantly. '_but I think you __**have**__ to talk to her. I-I __**feel **__that you have to…' _He trailed off uncertainly. He sounded so unlike his self.

Darien had never known Endymion to be uncertain of anything before. He was always so strong and confident. So… _**sure**_… of what he knew.

This was… unsettling.

'_I suggest you suck it up, hero, get your head out of your ass and call her!' _Endymion said, breaking their silence.

'_And he's back, ladies and gentlemen!'_

'_Smart ass.' _Endymion said affectionately.

'_Hate to remind you- which is completely ironic because we're the same man- but I'm not a hero anymore.'_ Darien thought wryly, grabbing onto the subject change, as Endymion had known he would, and completely ignoring the rest of the Princes' sentence. _'I haven't been for a long time.' _These were words that Darien has said many times before over the last few years. Words that carried a wealth of bitterness.

A bitterness that Endymion knew all to well.

A few years ago Darien had found that he could not become Tuxedo Mask anymore. He knew that as the years passed and the big freeze didn't happen he had been getting weaker-it didn't matter that Endymion and Darien had never merged, as they had been meant too; Darien was still the Earth Prince. As such, he was attuned to all the Earth's changes.-but he hadn't known it was as bad as it was until he discovered his inability to transform into Tuxedo Mask. That had not gone over very well, to say the least.

It had given Darien something else to be bitter about. It was just one more thing Serena had stolen from him.

'_Once a hero, always a hero.' _Endymion quoted.

Darien snorted. _'Did you just quote…'_

'_Yes, I did!'_ Endymion interrupted, annoyed. _' My point __**is,**__' Endymion stressed. 'It doesn't matter that you don't fight in battles anymore, Darien,' his tone softer. 'You are still you. You are still the warrior you always were. Nothing will ever change that._

Darien didn't feel like that man anymore. Strong, bold, confident. Belief, so strong, in his self and his abilities, that no matter the outcome of the battles, he would always win the war. Oh, he still fought- in his own little ways-he would always fight-Darien didn't know what it was like not too- he just didn't believe that he would win anymore.

**ANDREW POV**

'_He shouldn't have given Darien, Serena's number.'_ Andrew thought, letting himself into his house, grateful that Molly had already left for the rehearsal dinner and he had a little time alone. '_No matter how much Molly wanted me too, I should have stood firm and not done it.'_

He dropped his keys on the coffee table and made his way up stairs to his bedroom to change.

The problem wasn't that he didn't like Serena. He did. The problem was Darien. Andrew remembered well the dark time that followed after Serena left. He had felt so helpless as he watched his friend spiral out of control. Andrew had tried to talk to him, to help him, to just be there for him, as Darien had been there for him when Rita left. But Darien wouldn't let him. He just pretended that nothing was wrong. He just acted like he didn't care.

But there had been something about Darien that had frightened Drew. There was a look in his eye, a expression to his face, a mannerism to him. _**SOMETHING . **_Something that made Andrew truly fear for his friend. Something that said that he really didn't care. About anything or anyone.

And never would again.

Andrew sat down on the lavender, comforter covered bed. Darien was better now, if you could call excessive alcohol consumption and the endless parade of sluts that marched though his bedroom on a regular basis, _**better**_.

Yes. Andrew knew about the booze and women. But Darien was his friend and it really was not his place to judge. And really, was he any better? Andrew was with _Molly_, for goodness sake. Like that was a healthy relationship.

Andrew sighed. All he wanted was to protect his friend. He didn't want Darien to slip back into the state he was in when Serena first left. He had debated long and hard about whether or not to give Darien, Serena's number. And the truth was, if he had thought he could have got away with it, he wouldn't have done it, but he knew he couldn't have gotten away with it. Darien just had a way of finding out things. Sometimes, it was almost as if Darien could read minds.

He may deny it, but Darien would have been _**extremely **_upset if he had found out Drew had been asked to pass along Serena's telephone number and hadn't done it.

Darien was just… _**irrational**_, when it came to Serena. He always had been. Andrew could remember their infamous fights. Darien would have the poor girl practically in tears sometimes, but if someone else would have said anything like that to her and there would have been hell to pay.

Andrew got up and moved to the purple and green tiled bathroom. He quickly undressed and got into the shower. _"Let's hope there won't be hell to pay tonight.'_ Was his last thought as he stepped in the shower.`

MRS. OSAKA POV

"This is not what I wanted for you." Molly's mother said to her quietly as they set the table in Molly's old apartment. She would be staying here until the wedding. "I have pretended because that's what you seemed to want. Pretended not to see what I see, refused to speak what I have wanted to speak. But I can not hold my tongue any longer, Molly." Mrs. Osaka turned to face where her daughter stood at the beautiful cherry finish table that held the china service that had belonged to Molly's great grandmother. The service that one day Molly would pass to her own daughter.

"Andrew is a wonderful man. A decent man who will make a decent husband and father. You to are good together. I can see that. What I can't see is…" She trailed off. "I can't see what your father and I had. I can't see love between you." Mrs. Osaka rarely talked about her husband, even with her daughter. Her pain was a private thing to her, and still so fresh, even after more that=n twenty years.

Maybe if she had been a different sort of woman, she could have shared her pain with her daughter and, in turn, maybe Molly could have sharEd her own pain with Mrs. Osaka.

Mrs. Osaka didn't know what had hurt her daughter, but she could remember when Molly had turned from a laughing, happy child to a scowling, sullen one. Maybe if she had talked to her daughter, tried to help her, then Molly might have married that Melvin boy who had loved her little girl so. He had held on all through school and some of their college years, but he had eventually gave up.

Molly had seemed to really care for him but she just couldn't commit to him. The last that they had heard was that he had married some girl that he and Molly had went to school with. The last that Mrs. Osaka and Molly had heard, Melvin was very happy.

Mrs. Osaka sighed. "I worry about you, Molly. You've chosen such a bumpy path. Marriage is hard enough when two people love each other. It's almost impossible when they don't. To bring a child into that…" She shook her head and pulled out a high backed chair and sat down, smoothing the skirt of her pretty green silk dress down with a beautiful manicured hand.

Mrs. Osaka looked at her daughter, emerald green eyes meeting emerald green eyes. "Please sit down, Molly."

Molly reluctantly sat down, wishing she was anywhere but here. She so did not want to have this conversation with her mother.

"I know that you have not been happy in your life for a long time, dear. I know that you have not found life easy and you have failed to find the meaning that you so desperately seek. I have not been a very good mother and I know that, darling. I wish I could have been different. If I had then maybe you wouldn't have decided to marry a man you don't love."

Molly reached over and squeezed her mother's hands. "You have been a wonderful mother. A girl couldn't ask for a better one. And you're wrong. I do love him, Mama. It might not be the love you shared with Daddy, but it _**is**_ love. Of a sort."

Love. Of a _**sort**_. Mrs. Osaka felt sadness pierce her chest. She wanted to help her daughter, wanted to argue with her, try to change her mind but she knew it would be of know use. Molly had made her decision. She would stick to it. She was to stubborn not to.

"It's getting late, Molly." She said quietly. "Maybe you should go get ready."

Mrs. Osaka watched as Molly left the dining room, a frown on her face. The beauty she had shared with her daughter still evident, even though her hair was more gray than red and lines were on her once smooth face.

**MOLLY POV**

Molly sighed as she pulled off her black jeans and yellow t-shirt, sitting down on the bed in her old room in her black lace underclothes.

Her hands covered her still flat stomach. She wondered sometimes if she was doing Drew a disservice by marrying him. She was cheating him out of a wife that would love him as Molly didn't. Rita had hurt him badly but that didn't mean there wasn't someone out there who he could love and who would make him happy. He had never really tried to find anyone else after Rita left the last time, settling instead for casual relationships. Molly had watched Drew all those years, laughing and dating. Trying desperately to pretend that Rita hadn't brutally ripped his heart out of his chest and stomped on it. Kind of like Darien had pretended after Serena left.

Molly sighed again. Darien. Another thing on her mind. She had counseled him to talk to Serena, but she wondered now if that was the right thing. The problem wasn't Serena. Molly believed what she had told Drew. Serena did love Darien.

The problem was Darien.

He'd been different lately. He'd seemed more content. More… accepting?

Molly didn't want him to relapse and go back to how he had been before.

Molly sighed for yet a third time and got up, walking to the pink tiled bathroom to shower. On the way she picked up her black, silk cocktail dress. It was very pretty, with spaghetti straps, nice lines and a form hugging fit. Altogether a beautiful dress; Molly just couldn't work up the proper enthusiasm for it.

**SERENA POV**

Serena turned off the shower and reached for a towel, wrapping it around her. She wondered, as she stepped out of the bathtub, if she was doing the right thing in going tonight. She wasn't a member of the wedding party. She really had no place there. Besides, Serena didn't think Darien would take to kindly to her being there. He had made no attempt to hide his hostility towards her. Serena finished drying off and put her light blue, silk and lace undergarments on.

This was not how she thought this would be. Serena wasn't exactly sure what she expected, but it wasn't his hostility. She wasn't naïve enough to expect him to be happy to see her, like she was him. But she had hoped he would, at least, listen to her.

Serena plugged in the room's hairdryer and started to dry her hair.

She had so much she wanted to tell him. So much she needed to tell him. Things, like she had told Andrew, he needed to here.

Serena picked her brush up and brushed her hair until it fell in shining waves around her shoulders.

She honestly didn't know what to do. She wondered if maybe she should give up and come back at another time.

Serena went to the bed and picked up the blue dress that exactly matched her eyes. She stepped into it and pulled the wide straps up her arms and over her shoulders. She smoothed it over her hips and down her legs to where it ended just at her knees, before pulling the zipper up in back.

Serena had found the dress while shopping for baby things with Molly. It was something that, normally, Serena would enjoy wearing. , with it's classic lines and figure hugging cut; but she couldn't fully appreciate it with this weight on her mind. She sat down heavily on the bed.

She needed help. She needed a new voice.

Serena then did something she hadn't did in ten years. She reached into her bedside table and pulled out her Scout communicator. When she had first left it had beeped incessantly. As time past, it had faded to a few errant beeps here and there; but there had been nothing in years now.

Serena had a moment of uncertainty as she sat there in her pretty blue dress, that piece of pink technology in her hands. She hadn't answered any of their calls. Would anyone answer hers? She hesitated, then pressed a button. There was only one way to find out.

**WE DIDN'T MAKE IT TO THE REHEARSAL DINNER AND I'M SORRY BUT WE WILL NEXT CHAPTER.**

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	9. Chapter 9

**I DO NOT OWN SAILOR MOON**

**SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE. I HAVE NOT BEEN WELL BUT I AM FEELING BETTER NOW**

" I've got it, Mom!" Molly called as she hurried across the beautiful hardwood floor, her expensive red leather pumps clicking.

Molly opened the apartment door to see Andrew standing there in the beautiful gray suit and gray and blue silk tie she had laid out for him.

Andrew smiled, it lighting up his handsome face, his hazel eyes shining. "Hey, you."

Molly smiled, her emerald green eyes sparkling. "Hey, you." She said back.

Andrew lowered his head, his lips gently covered hers. Molly leaned into the kiss, her hands coming to rest on his sculpted chest.

Someone made a rude sound. " If this is going to take long, I can stand out here and tell your guests to come back later." A voice said from behind Andrew.

He stiffened and raised his head. "Hey, Sis." He said without turning around. "Glad you decided to come."

Liz made another rude sound. " I'm part of the bridal party. Apparently, I have to come to the rehearsal dinner."

Andrew sighed and turned to face his sister. She was wearing a golden yellow halter style cocktail dress that came to her knees and black low heeled sandals. The yellow of her dress complemented her pale coloring and light auburn hair well. Andrew was relieved. She could have showed up in her funeral dress and hat-complete with veil.

"Liz…" Andrew said warningly.

Liz stood on tip toes and kissed her brother's cheek. " Hello, Drew. Nice of you to invite me." She said in a sickeningly sweet tone. Liz took her brother's arm and steered him into the apartment, mumbling something under her breath to Molly.

Andrew looked helplessly over his shoulder at Molly.

She just shook her head and sighed. She really hoped this wasn't an omen for tonight was going to go.

Darien made his way along the street that Osaka jewelers' was on, looking very handsome in his navy suit.

He hadn't wanted to come tonight. But Drew was his best friend and Darien was going to be best man at his wedding. So Darien had to come.

He turned the corner to the back of the building that led to the steps to Mrs. Osaka's apartment.

'_At least Serena won't be here.' _Darien thought as he knocked on the door. _'She has no reason to be. She's not part of the bridal party.'_

"Hello, Darien." Mrs. Osaka greeted when she opened the door. " Please, come in." She moved to let me in the apartment. " The other's are in the living room. Come this way."

"Thank you, Mrs. Osaka." Darien followed Molly's mother down the hallway and into the formal living room.

"Dare!" Andrew exclaimed, in what seemed relief. He jumped up from where he sat between Liz and Molly on the pale aqua Victorian style sofa that went so well with the sand colored walls and gauzy dark aqua curtains.

"Glad you could make it!" Andrew said shaking Darien's hand.

Darien smirked. "Not going well, Buddy?" He asked, glancing over at Molly and Liz.

Andrew blew out a breath and ran his hand through his hair. "That's putting it mildly."

Darien let out a little laugh. "Do you want me to…" He gestured to Molly and Liz.

"Yeah." Andrew blew out another breath. "Thanks. Maybe you could ask Molly to show you the terrace?" Andrew asked uncertainly. "I know you like roses and Mrs. Osaka has some beautiful bushes."

Darien nodded.

"Good. While you do that, I'm going to have a little talk with my sister." Andrew said determinedly.

Darien snickered and silently wished him good luck as he walked over to Molly. "Hey, Molly." He said, taking the hand she offered. "Thank you for having me."

Molly smiled. "Thank you for coming. I know it means a lot to Drew."

Darien let go of Molly's hand and turned to Liz. "Hello, Liz. You look nice this evening." He bent down and kissed her cheek.

Liz smiled up at Darien. "Thank you, Darien. May I say you are looking exceptionally handsome tonight."

"Thank you, Liz."

Darien turned back to Molly. "Drew was telling me about your mother's rose bushes. I was hoping that you would show me them."

Molly stood up, relieved at the escape. "Of course, Darien." She said with a smile. "The terrace is this way." She led the way out of the living room and down the hall to the back of the apartment. "The roses are very beautiful. I hope you find them up to your standards. I remember Drew saying that you grow roses and have quite the green thumb." Molly walked through a pair of white French doors and onto a black painted terrace.

"I… used to. I don't grow them anymore." Darien said in a quiet voice, unwanted memories of _**why**_ he didn't grow his roses anymore surfacing.

Molly moved to sit down on the stone bench in the corner of the terrace while Darien chose to stand, leaning on the railing.

"Oh." Molly said, that one little word conveying a wealth of understanding.

They lapsed into silence after that, neither of them knowing what to say.

"Thanks." Molly said, after what seemed like an eternity. She made a gestured. "For in there. It was getting…" She trailed off.

"Awkward?" Darien supplied.

Molly laughed. "To say the least."

Another silence.

"She… **Liz**… doesn't like the thought of me marrying her brother." Molly said, breaking the silence.

"She'll come around." Darien promised.

"Will she?" Molly asked, unconvinced.

"She'll have to. The wedding's the day after tomorrow."

Molly just shrugged.

Darien could tell that Molly didn't think Liz would be any different, even after they were married.

"Things will get better. You'll see. Once she holds her little niece or nephew in her arms… once she sees all of you together… a family… it will be different. Liz will forget that she ever had any reservations about this marriage."

Molly smiled in gratitude.

They lapsed into another silence, this like the others, neither awkward or uncomfortable. After about fifteen minutes, Darien could see Molly was getting increasingly uneasy about something.

"Is there anything wrong, Molly?" He questioned.

Molly looked at him, uncomfortable. "I … did something and I'm not sure I should have." Molly paused, biting her lip. "I invited Serena tonight."

Darien backed up to the other corner of the small terrace and slumped on the stone bench that was there.

"Oh, Molly." He breathed, his face pale. "Why?"

Molly jumped up. "Because you wouldn't talk to her!" She exclaimed, her hands flying around agitatedly. "You had chance upon chance and you just wouldn't!" She seemed to deflate. "I thought that being here, around a lot of people would help." She shrugged. "Maybe."

Darien just stared at her, incredulously. She thought that putting them together, here, would help? '_Did pregnancy make you loose what common sense you had?' _He wondered. She didn't think it would be bad enough with Liz here, she just had to add Serena to the mix?

"_Give the woman a break.' _The Prince said. _'She meant well.'_

'_I can do just fine without her good intentions, thank you very much!' _Darien replied silently to Endymion.

'_Will you just get over yourself already!'_

"Maybe you should go." Molly said, interrupting Darien's caustic reply.

"I can't do that, Molly!" Darien exploded. "I'm Drew's best man! I can't run out on the rehearsal dinner!"

Molly flinched from his anger. "I'm sorry, Darien. I was just trying to help." She said miserably.

'_See. She was just trying to help.' _The Prince said.

'_Do you __**mind?**__ It's a little hard to carry on a conversation with you and her!'_

'_Sorry.'_ The Prince mumbled, which Darien found funny. How does a ghost mumble?

"Darien?" Molly's voice made him realize that he had completely spaced out on her.

"Sorry." Darien apologized, feeling his cheeks get red. "I was just… thinking."

Molly nodded, obviously not believing him.

Darien blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "Look, Molly, I just don't want it to be dredge up anymore than it already is." Darien took a deep breath. " I have been told by almost everyone that I need to see her, talk to her." He paused. "To let her go." He finished in a soft voice. "But what no one seems to realize is-I _**have **_let her go. I let her go ten years ago." Darien said earnestly. " I never tried to change her mind about leaving. I never tried to convince her that she did love me. I didn't chase after her. I didn't look for her. She left and I let her go. I accepted her decision and accepted for, whatever reason, it just wasn't meant to be." Darien sighed and leaned back against the terrace. " I didn't lie when I said that there would never be anyone else but her-but that doesn't mean I have been waiting all these years for her to come back to me. Serena never promised that she would be back and I knew she never would-at least not to me." Darien stood up, signaling an end to the conversation. "I will be polite to her out of respect for you and Drew." Darien said, standing at the French doors. "I wish her well, Molly. You may tell her that, if you want." He started out the doors but stopped. "You may also tell her I hope she's happy with the life she chose." He went through the doors. "But I have no wish to know if she's not." His voice floated out to where she still sat.

Andrew sighed as he made his way down the hall to the terrace. He hoped Liz would behave herself but he wasn't holding his breath. He walked through the French doors and saw Molly sitting on the stone bench alone.

"Darien already gone back inside?" He asked, leaning on the rail, just as Darien had.

Molly smiled softly at him. "Yes. Thanks for sending him to the rescue."

Andrew smiled back. "She's just trying to help." He tried to explain, when there was really no explanation for her. Andrew saw Molly flinch and wondered what he had said that was wrong.

Molly saw the question in his eyes. "I-said something like that to Darien just a little while ago."

Andrew raised an eyebrow and remained silent, inviting her to answer.

Molly sighed. "I told him that I had invited Serena tonight and when he asked why, I said I was just trying to help." She dropped her eyes, waiting for his anger.

The stone bench in the corner found another make slumped on it in shock.

"Molly…" He breathed after a moment, shaking his head.

"I know, alright?" Molly said, holding up a hand. "I was having second thoughts before I even said anything to Darien."

Andrew was silent. "What did Dare say?" He asked after a moment.

"He said that he would be polite to her out of respect for you and me, and if I wanted to, I could tell her that he wished her well and he hoped she was happy, but he had no desire to dredge up the past." Molly said, leaving out the part that she knew Darien would be embarrassed for Drew to know.

"Maybe you should tell her that, Moll." he stopped. "And maybe you should ask her to leave him alone." Andrew said hesitantly. Molly nodded.

They sat in silence for a long while, each lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

Serena stood nervously at Mrs. Osaka's apartment door, wondering if she should ring the bell. She finally sighed, reached out and pressed the button. She was here, she may as well go in.

Darien walked slowly to answer the door, seeing as how Molly was on the terrace with Andrew and Mrs. Osaka was busy in the kitchen.

He knew who it was. It could only be her. Everyone else was already here. He slowly opened the door and there she was, in a pretty blue dress and matching expensive blue heels. He silently moved so she could enter the apartment.

"Molly is on the terrace with Drew, Mrs. Osaka is in the kitchen and the rest of us are in the living room." Darien informed her tersely.

"Thank you." Serena said, going into the living room. Darien followed quietly behind her.

"I'll tell Molly that you are here." He said politely, after making sure she found a seat.

Serna nodded her head, and watched as he disappeared down the hall. She had been advised to stop pushing and let things happen naturally. No one dealt well when you bullied your way, least of all Darien.

"Thank you." Serena said, as she accepted a glass of wine from Liz. Liz nodded her head and turned away without speaking. She raised an eyebrow and wondered what her deal was.

She turned around in her chair when she heard a sigh behind her.

"Don't mind her." Andrew said. "She's been told that if she can't say anything nice than it might be best if she didn't say anything at all. I think she may be taking me a bit to literally."

She directed an raised eyebrow to him.

Andrew shrugged. "At least she stopped sniping at Molly."

Serena laughed silently as she tried to imagined what tonight was going to be like with Liz not talking and Darien being coldly polite.

What Serena took to be the minister called Andrew over and Serena was left alone.

Molly picked up the tray of appetizers and made her way into the living room, greeting her guests as she came to them, offering them her crab puffs and spinach balls.

Serena watched her, noticing the bags under her eyes and the tension in her face for the first time. All this could not be easy for Molly, Serena realized. She couldn't help but wonder if her presence was just making it harder on Molly. For some reason, Molly seemed to be concerned for Darien; almost as worried about him as Drew was. What Serena couldn't understand was _**why**_? _'Could it have really been that bad after she left?' _Serena wondered. He was changed certainly. Not just the fact he had aged. There was the bitterness she had noted to Drew, but there was other things, too. A look in his eyes, a weight on his shoulders that had never been there.

Was the changes she saw her fault?

Serena shook her head as she sipped her wine. No. This didn't have anything to do with her. People changed, that's all.

A shadow fell over Serena and she glanced up see Molly in front of her offering the tray to Serena.

Serena carefully picked one of the treats.

"I'm glad you could make it, Serena." Molly said, putting the tray down on the table a few feet away and coming to sit beside Serena.

"How are you feeling? You look tired." Serena said, her excellent teeth sinking daintily into the crab puff.

Molly blew out a breath. "I am tired. I'll be glad when the wedding is over and everything settles down."

Serena nodded , knowing Molly would feel better.

"Serena," Molly said hesitantly. "I may have made a slight error in judgment in inviting you tonight." Molly stopped. "Everything is tense enough without adding you to the mix." Molly sighed. "Liz doesn't want me to marry Drew. My mother doesn't want me to marry Drew. Drew's parents aren't exactly happy that we're getting married. Drew is, well, I'm not sure what Drew is feeling, but I know he's uneasy about everything and Darien is, well…" She waved a hand to where he stood with Andrew and the minister, talking, all the while glaring at Serena. "I talked to him earlier, Serena. He said he would be polite tonight. I was hoping you would save your… talk… for later."

Serena nodded to Molly as she digested her request.

"I hope I haven't upset you."

Serena smiled at her. "Of course not. I was thinking the same thing."

Molly returned Serena's smile, relieved.

Mrs. Osaka came in then and announced that supper was ready.

Meanwhile in England, another blond haired woman sat on a black and red covered bed, in a penthouse apartment, holding a piece of pink technology. She wondered if what she planned it was the right thing. She had not contacted the other scouts in years. Without Serena to hold them together, they had scattered in the wind, each going in different directions.

She sighed. They had different lives now, far removed from the lives that had led as Sailor Scouts. Was it really fair to call _**now**_? After so many years of silence? Did she really have anything to say to them? Other than telling them about Serena? They had all promised, when they had first split, that if one heard from Serena, she would call the others. Would they want to know _**now**_? To much time had past, to many years spent apart, for it to make a difference.

The blond woman shook her head and reached to open the drawer in the nightstand by the bed, but a black cat with a crescent moon on her forehead jumped on the bed beside her, stopping her.

The cat didn't say anything, just looked at her for a long while and then left.

Mina looked at the Sailor Scout Communicator in her hands and silently pressed the buttons for Mercury, Mars, and Jupiter.

In Germany, a blue haired woman in green scrubs and a white lab coat ducked in a seldom used utility room. Even though it had been years since she had needed it, Ami had never got out of the habit of carrying her communicator with her. It was one of those things that got ingrained with a person.

Ami held it in her hands, staring at it, not quite believing that someone was calling her _**now,**_ when no one had even sent an e-mail or dropped a post card in years. Ami had tried to keep in contact after Serena had left and they all had drifted apart, but no one had been interested. After a while Ami had given up.

Did she really want to talk to one of them now?

Ami stood there, her pink scout communicator cupped in her palm, a blue fingernail hovering over the beeping button.

The utility room door opened suddenly and Ami jumped.

A tall, lanky form poked in and she smiled at her brown haired, brown eyed husband. She waved him in and motioned for him to close the door.

"Is that…?" He asked, nodding at the Scout communicator in her hands, leaning his lab coated body against the closed door.

"Yeah." Ami nodded. The piece of pink technology beeped in her hands again.

Her husband sighed. "Are you going to…?" He trailed off uncertainly. Even though she had tried to hide it from him, he knew how much it had hurt Ami when the other Scouts had stopped returning her emails and phone calls. He wasn't sure he wanted Ami to answer that communicator. All he could see was that beep leading to more heartache for his wife.

Ami shook her head. "I don't know, Greg." She raised her eyes from the communicator to meet his eyes. "I haven't talk to them in years." She shrugged. "They didn't even come to our wedding." She said sadly, hurt evident in her voice. "Is there really anything to say now?"

Greg stayed silent, not wanting to influence her, even though he knew she would regret it if she didn't answer it.

Ami sighed when she realized she couldn't not answer it. This was the Sailor Scout Communicator. If Venus was contacting her on it, it had to be important.

A blue painted finger nail pressed the glowing button. "Mercury, here."

* * *

In France, a woman with long chestnut hair, piercing green eyes and a curvy, statuesque figure, closed the door to the bedroom where her sleeping husband lay, a little pink communicator clutched in her hand.

Lita padded on bare feet across the blue carpeted floor into the living of her villa. She shivered in the early morning chill, her lavender tank top and shorts not offering much protection. Lita wrapped a lacey white throw around her before curling up in a corner of hr black leather sofa.

She stared at the beeping pink annoyance that she held in her rough, calloused hands. She wasn't sure she wanted to answer it but she knew that she had to make a decision quick, before Ken woke and came to find her.

Her husband was a good man. Even though they had known each other for years before they got together, even though Ken had met her one time friends, even though Lita told Ken absolutely _**everything**_, somehow she had never told him about the Sailor Scouts.

Lita had put all that behind her when she left to start her new life. She had made new friends, in both her cooking school and her job as chef. When she had met Ken gain, after a couple of years of silence, there had been a spark between them that had never been there before. They had a whirlwind courtship and married within weeks of meeting again. They had been very happy in the ensuing years. They had opened their own successful restaurant, had bought their villa, and traveled extensively, to new and exotic places to discover new ways of cooking.

They had recently been discussing children and had decided to start trying to get pregnant, both agreeing they were at that place in their lives where they were ready to start a family.

Lita couldn't tell Ken about the Sailor Scouts now. She could have before, when they were first together, but not now. Too much time had past. Ken would wonder why she was telling him now, when she didn't before. Then he would wonder what else she had never told him, what other part of her self she hid from him and that would lead him to wonder about the future; what would Lita feel she couldn't tell in the years to come, what would she hide from him down the road. No, she could never tell him about the Sailor Scouts now.

The sailor scout communicator beeped again, bringing Lita out of her uneasy thoughts. She didn't want to answer Venus. She was afraid too. She had a good life. A happy life. She was afraid if she answered Venus, it would change things. She didn't want anything to change.

Did she?

She had kept her communicator, even if she hadn't used it since she had left. A part of Lita knew that eventually, someone would call. And it was the Sailor Scout Communicator. What if it was an emergency? What if Venus needed Sailor Jupiter?

Lita sighed and pushed the button with an blunt, unpolished finger. "Venus?" she asked softly. "Jupiter, here."

In a little town in California, a beautiful black haired, violet woman slid out from under an tanned arm, and got up from the king sized bed, pulling a short, red satin robe over her nude form.

Rei pulled her straight waist length hair free and quietly tied her robe, before hurrying to a suitcase in the corner of the bedroom. She reached inside, to a zippered pocket, and pulled out her Sailor Scout Communicator. She stood there, staring at it, unable to believe it was actually beeping.

Rei had thought she was dreaming when it had first started beeping. Wishful thinking in a drunken stupor, maybe?

Even confronted with the truth, she couldn't quite accept that someone was calling her.

She had waited for years for this moment. When the others had left, she had stayed at the shrine, waiting for them to come back, never quite believing that they wouldn't. Even when Chad had left, she had stayed. He had begged her to go with him, but she couldn't give up hope.

It hadn't been until grandpa died, that she had given up, finally accepting that things were never going to be like they were. After the funeral, when Chad had asked her to go with him again, she hadn't hesitated; packing her bags and following him, leaving the Sailor Scouts behind.

Rei hadn't even told Ami that she was leaving. She was the only one who bothered to even try to keep in touch.

Rei glanced over to the bed where Chad lay, making sure he was still asleep. Chad knew about the Sailor Scouts, having discovered her secret when he lived at the temple. He wouldn't want her to answer this. He wouldn't want her to be hurt.

Rei walked through the bedroom door and closed it quietly behind her, going into the living room of the posh hotel suite where her husband's band was staying at. It was a far cry from her shrine days. She sat down on the white suede sofa, holding her pink communicator in her soft, manicured hand, still somewhat in shock.

She had waited so long for someone to call and now that someone had, she wasn't sure she wanted to answer. Her life had changed. Grandpa was gone, her temple days were over. She was a married woman. She was happy. This wasn't the life she was supposed to have, but it wasn't a bad life. She liked traveling with the band, even singing sometimes.

It had taken Rei a long time to get to where she was now. To get over their desertion.

Rei rubbed a painted red finger lovingly over the screen of her communicator, smiling gently when she noticed it was Venus calling. She had missed her bubbly, vivacious friend _**so much**_. Her finger hesitated over the glowing Venus button. One push and she would here Mina's voice. Would it be awkward? Or would it be as if nothing had changed? Did she want it to be as if nothing had changed?

Rei realized then that something could be wrong. Mina was using the Scout Communicator. What if it was an emergency? Rei hurriedly pushed the Venus button. "Mars is here." She said quietly so not to wake her sleeping husband.

**WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK?**

**I WANT TO THINK EVERYONE FOR THEIR REVIEWS**

**I KNOW THAT I SEEM TO JUMP AROUND A LOT BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW ELSE TO INTRODUCE CERTAIN TOPICS. I HOPE THAT I HAVEN'T CONFUSED ANYONE.**

**I'VE GOT THE NEXT CHAPTER ALMOST FINISHED, SO BARRING ANYTHING BAD, IT SHOULD BE UP IN A DAY OR SO.**


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